ESG holds steel cutting ceremony for TSHD R.B. WEEKS

Last week, Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) hosted a steel cutting ceremony for R.B. WEEKS, ESG Hull 258, a new trailing suction hopper dredger for Weeks Marine, Inc.

The new vessel will be constructed at Eastern’s Allanton Shipyard Panama City, Florida.

This is the second TSHD project for Weeks Marine, the MAGDALEN, ESG Hull 256 was delivered back in December of 2017.

The R.B.WEEKS, (ESG Hull 258) is named in honor of Richard B. Weeks, a co-founder of Weeks Marine.

This new trailing suction hopper dredge is scheduled for delivery early 2023.

The newbuild features the following characteristics:

• Vessel Name: R.B. WEEKS
• Dimensions (Overall): 356’ x 79’-6”’x 27’-3”
• Designer: Royal IHC
• Main Engines: (2) GE 16V250 MDC IMOIII/EPA Tier 4
• Main Propulsion: (2) Wartsila CPP in Nozzles
• Main Gears: (2) Siemens (Flender)
• Bow Thruster: (1) AC 730kW VFD Fixed Pitch Tunnel Unit
• Main Shaft Generators: (2) x 3400ekW
• Auxiliary Generator: (1) GE 6L250 MDC (1423ekW) IMOIII/EPA Tier 4
• Emergency Generator: (1) Caterpillar C18 (430ekW) IMOII/EPA Tier 3
• Classification: Lloyd’s Register, 100A1 Hopper Dredger,
  LMC, UMS
• Flag & Regulatory: USA, USCG
• Hopper Capacity: 8,550 yd³ (6540m3)
• Accommodations: 26 Person